Task Forces
The international Orality Network capitalizes on the gifting, skills, and passion of it constituent members. The network has established various task forces to achieve it’s vision. If you feel you would like to participate in one of these please contact the facilitator of the task force initiative which interests you the most.
Communications & Awareness
Ed Weaver
We welcome you to join our team which seeks to communicate the importance of utilizing oral-sensitive strategies to churches and mission agencies around the world. We seek to utilize the web, e-newsletters, print, video and audio as tools to communicate the message effectively to these groups externally, as well to help communication within the network. In our group we will discuss: 1) Methods of gathering stories and case studies on successful oral projects. 2) Ways in which we can communicate effectively using the web site. 3) Other ways to communicate the message. 4) How we can get the word out to other parts of the world where these tools are not as widely used as in North America.
Field Training: Multiplying Grassroots Leaders for the Task
Alan Lyons and Mark Louzk
The field training task force exists to assist in equipping leaders and practitioners to disciple and train oral communicators using narrative strategies. Be a part of developing, refining and implementing the cutting edge strategies necessary to disciple the nations. This task force works together to develop solid models of lay leader training that will be effective in the field. The group focuses on how to prepare oral communicators to take leadership roles in churches, how to develop storying mentors from within oral cultures, and how to promote oral strategies among local pastors and denominational leaders. We also emphasize developing and promoting solutions to common barriers faced when training oral communicators through ongoing discussions on foundational training. In addition, we also seek to link people to effective tools and resources.
Secondary Orality: The Inside story for how to connect with people’s hearts
Paul Konstanski
Bible storying is booming as a powerful movement throughout the world and is on the rise in mainstream America. Storytelling is being touted as the next breakthrough in organizational change. Storytelling associations are gaining in popularity. This task force will look at ways to build on this momentum to creatively use stories in churches and other local ministry settings with the audience of those people who can read, but choose not to – the secondary oral learner.
Prayer
Linda Bemis
We invite you to join ION’s Prayer Task Force. Our time is designed to hear from you and to develop action plans together, which will help you and your ministry to be involved in the Orality movement. Come join us as we work to discover and address effective communication of prayer requests to prayer teams and look together at God’s perspective of prayer networks and their role in missions’ ministries. This is an opportunity to learn how to involve your people in praying for Orality and the four billion people who are oral communicators.
World Consultations
Samuel Chiang
Join our task force on World Consultations. Be part of empowering national leaders in regions highly populated by oral communicators. Once nationals hear the message of Orality and gain tools and expertise in oral strategies, their effectiveness to reach their own people rises exponentially. Most places in the world need this message. ION members are already helping link national leaders with those who can train them. You can help. We need mission-minded people with various skills such as, networking, letter writing, organizing, finding resources, mobilizing people skilled in storying and helping arrange supplies of oral tools. We will strategize on ways to help set up world consultations and engage locals who have skills in oral strategies. Most wonderfully ION has been invited to provide information, material and training in 40 world gatherings set for 2008-2010 organized by Call2All.
Theological Education: Classroom Ideals and Field Implementation
Mark Overstreet
Be a part of a group dedicated to incorporating principles of Orality into theological education. This group will work together to identify barriers that theological educators face and take steps to discover solutions for preparing students to communicate the gospel and make disciples in an oral world. Participants will also assist in developing parallel tracks of theological education for oral learners. This is an opportunity to be a part of an ongoing discussion on issues related to theological education and oral communicators.
Music and the Arts
Robin Harris
All the arts – storytelling, singing, dancing, drama, drawing, sculpture, and more – are interrelated ways to tell The Story, especially to oral learners. This task force aims to foster a global movement that will use all the arts in culturally appropriate ways in order to make disciples. Using insights from such disciplines as ethnomusicology, studies of other ethnic arts, missiology, and orality, we promote the arts as important means of expressive communication among oral learners. The task force encourages and equips people who want to use the arts in their ministries by building their vision, by providing practical training, and by linking them with effective resources and tools. Contact the coordinator (Robin Harris) by email at rharris[at]worldofworship[dot]org or visit our group on the web: http://groups.google.com/group/Music-Arts-Task-Force
Funding
Morgan Jackson
We will focus on how God may provide funding to the ION efforts to advocate oral methods to all people groups. The discussion will focus on whom, how and when we should approach about the financial needs of this effort. Any money raised will be to further the promotion of oral methods and the expansion of International Orality Networks into many people groups. If you are gifted in giving or have a heart to see how God might put together the funding of this project. (mjackson-at-fcbhmail.org)
Reaching America with Oral Methods
Paul Krueger
How do we more effectively reach the diverse oral learners in America – from the populations in our major cities (over 50% are functionally illiterate) to the halls of college campuses where they prefer not to read.
What role do conferences and consultations have in reaching these groups? Participants will identify ways to infect the communication networks with God’s word in all forms of expression, give direction to future events, develop strategies to accomplish our defined goals and sign up for significant impact in the process.
Discovering Best Practices
Steve Evans
Children
Jim Rosene
The world is getting younger. The majority of people become believers between the ages of 4 and 18. The Children’s Task Force seeks to build awareness among ministries for the need to develop appropriate tools with an oral methodology for this generation. It also desires to act as a bridge between those in the Orality movement and those in Children’s ministries
Women and Orality
Jan Piersall
God wants all Christian women to be a part of the the Great Commission as stated in Matthew 28:18-20. He has given us, His daughters, a heart to reach unchurched, ethnic women with the freedom of the Good News through a storying medium, i.e. art, dance, drama, chants, proverbs, music and stories. We are excited to be looking into research on storying to women and best practices (curriculum) which will be posted on the website come April, 2010. We look forward to your return visit next April for more information.
